Getting people to invest may seem like the logical next step for your startup. But here are some very valid reasons by Tim Berry for why you shouldn’t seek investors’ help: It’s extremely difficult to get investment for your startup, especially if you don’t have previous startup experience. Getting investors involved in your company means[...]

“Stories are the oldest and probably the best way to communicate ideas, truths, and beliefs. Stories are powerful.” Stories appeal to most—if not all—audiences, and storytelling is the most genuine way you can sell someone the idea of your business. In his post on Lean Business Planning, Tim Berry talks about “stories as strategy”—specifically business[...]

Here’s a mistake I made that taught me a lot and helped me teach others. The Mistake Many years ago, I took a new product—early business planning software—to its first trade show. We did the standard...

It’s easier for big companies to be firm with their fees. But for small businesses, startups and budding entrepreneurs, budget negotiations can be the most dreaded part of interacting with a potential client. If you’re selling tangible products, it’s usually not so bad because these normally go for a fixed price. But if it’s a[...]

Do you struggle with making small talk? Do you cringe at the thought of it, or—like me—even miss out on opportunities because you avoid it? Well the great news is that it’s actually not that frightening once you start, and chances are that it will lead to much more good than bad. That being said,[...]

Search engine optimization (SEO) is always a priority when it comes to your business’s online presence. How you rank in search results affects your site traffic, and consequently sales and whatever else your website aims to achieve. SEO can seem complicated, especially for small businesses that are just starting out, but there are a few[...]

I never liked Instagram. Never made use of it for my own photos, never used it as a social media manager, and never recommended it to brands and businesses. But even before Facebook acquired Instagram, the number of people using the platform continued—and continues—to grow at a rapid rate. So even though I still think[...]

You want planning for your business like you want navigation for your journey, with destination, route, and real-time dashboard information to make changes easily, and optimize. " http://bit.ly/1sHgv6H #leanbizplan

Would you go up to two strangers in a café, and interrupt them mid-conversation to talk about your business? Those who have a shred of sanity wouldn’t, yet somehow a lot of people think it’s acceptable to do so online, especially on social media platforms. Perhaps it’s because discussions on the Internet are visible to[...]

Marketers are seeing a tremendous shift in how buyers are researching and buying, particularly on social media platforms. 55% of B2B buyers do their research by using social networks, and 78% of people...